Saturday voting tallies way up for Macon-Bibb County runoff

If you want to cast your ballot early in the upcoming Macon-Bibb County mayoral runoff, this is the week to do so.

All registered voters in Macon and Bibb County -- whether they voted in the Sept. 17 election or not -- can vote in the mayoral runoff, which pits incumbent Mayor Robert Reichert against former Macon Mayor C. Jack Ellis. There also are four commission races to decide.

Advance voting on Saturday drew 751 voters to the Macon-Bibb County Board of Elections office on Pio Nono Avenue, where early voting this week will also be held. That’s a 44 percent increase over the 420 voters who cast an early ballot Sept. 7.

The elections office is open from 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. through Friday.

Just 44.3 percent of registered Bibb County voters cast ballots during September’s election for new leaders of the Macon-Bibb County consolidated government. All told, 8,209 people voted early.

The four commission runoff races are:

In District 2, Macon City Council members Henry Ficklin and Larry Schlesinger square off.

In District 8, Macon City Council members Charles Jones and Virgil Watkins Jr. face off.

“Vote by mail” absentee ballot applications are being accepted at the elections office through this week.

Absentee ballot applications are available at the Board of Elections office and on the Board of Elections website: www.co.bibb.ga.us/BOE/BOE.aspx. Applications also are available on the state of Georgia’s “my voter” website page: mvp.sos.state.ga.us.

You may mail the completed application to Macon-Bibb County Board of Elections, P.O. Box 6297, Macon, GA 31208. They may also be faxed to the elections office at 478-784-9774.